


Avalanche

by SNOWboarder



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Oneshot, band au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 15:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SNOWboarder/pseuds/SNOWboarder
Summary: After arriving in Okinawa, Langa becomes the frontman for a duo now turned three-man band. But how will their first performance together go?
Kudos: 8





	Avalanche

"So this is the place?" he asks. Langa scans the nearly empty club, impressed with the almost professional lighting and sound setups.

"Yep," Shadow says, shifting the backpack on his shoulder. "We’ve just gotta check in with Cherry and then we should be good to go."

"Cherry?"

"He’s backstage," an unfamiliar voice chimes in from the bar. Both Langa and Shadow glance over to catch the grin of Fioritura del Sole’s bartender.

"Thanks Joe," Shadow shouts before making his way towards the stage.

Langa stares over at the broad-shouldered man blankly. 

"Joe?"

"That's my name, kid," Joe chuckles. 

Langa's nerves hold him in place for a few seconds before Shadow’s shouting sounds out from the other side of the club. The sound of his frustrated bandmate brings Langa out of his trance. The blue-haired boy flashes a nervous smile to Joe before speed walking over to Shadow to head backstage.

-

“Where the hell is he?” Shadow growls. He twirls around one of his drum sticks, once more staring up his nervous - more like angry - habit.

“He’ll be here soon, don’t worry,” Langa assures his bandmate.

“No offense newbie, but you saying not to worry isn’t really helping.” Shadow lets out a long sigh, then pulls out his phone. As he scrolls furiously, he murmurs something along the lines of “That damn Miya.”

Langa shifts nervously on the couch. Not having a reminder of how this is his first show with the duo would’ve been great. But fortune does not always favor Langa. 

He’d barely been in Okinawa for a week when he first stumbled upon the duo - literally. All he had to do was deliver water bottles to Shadow and Miya. It was supposed to be a simple part-time job at the studio his mom was working at. But his feet had carried his first encounter with Miya and Shadow beyond a simple passing through. Had Shadow and Miya’s shouting match not shocked Langa into tripping over Miya’s skateboard, he wouldn’t have struck up an awkward first conversation with the two. Then he wouldn’t have mentioned how he’d been a backing vocalist in a band he’d joined in secondary school. And he wouldn’t now be waiting backstage in a dressing room awaiting their electric guitarist’s arrival for their first gig as a three-man band.

Langa looks over to the tv mounted on the dressing room’s right wall. Cherry, the co-owner of the club, is singing a somber tune. Langa makes out the words “Brooklyn baby,” but is more focused on Cherry’s melodic voice. The scene is framed with an array of pink lighting schemes, which makes the performance more entrancing. Cherry shares the stage with the bartender, who’s backing Cherry with his bass playing. Amid the crowd gathered before the stage, the two have their eyes focused on one another. The moment looks intimate, almost like Langa is looking into some other world.

Another world that’s soon taken away from by a familiar voice.

“You ready to go slimes?” Miya chirps. He has his guitar case slung over his left arm and his skateboard in the crook of his right arm.

Langa was so caught up with Cherry and Joe’s performance that he didn’t notice Miya’s entrance. Miya shuts the door and makes his way towards the other side of the couch 

“Took you long enough,” Shadow sneers. He slides his phone into one of his back pockets and stands up straighter against one of the small dressing room’s walls.

“I have a life, thank you very much,” Miya retorts while setting his skateboard against the couch.

Before Shadow can launch into further protests, they hear applause sounding from the tv. Langa watches as Cherry and Joe wave to the audience before walking side by side offstage. A knock on the door sounds soon afterward.

Langa lifts himself off the couch and moves to answer the knock. He opens the door and locks eyes with a techie.

“Hey! You’re ah-” the red-haired boy begins before pausing.

The two stand in silence for a few seconds, neither one speaking.

“We’re what?” Langa finally asks, unsure what the techie is trying to say.

“We’re on, Snow,” Miya intervenes, pushing Langa aside to exit the dressing room and head onstage.

“Snow?” the redhead asks.

“Well, uh, Langa.”

“Oh. Nice to meet ya, Langa.” The techie extends his right hand. “I’m Reki.”

“And I think we should be going,” Shadow mocks, pushing the two out of the doorway.

Reki still looks dumbfounded, holding out his hand. Langa quickly takes Reki’s hand and shakes it.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Reki.”

“So are you new around here?”

“Yeah, I just-”  
  
“Snow, c’mon! We’ve gotta set up,” Miya calls out from down the hall.

Reki breaks out of the handshake and runs his hand through his slightly messy hair.

“Good luck out there, Langa”

Langa thanks Reki before racing after the drummer and guitarist.

-

The stage lights feel hot and bright against Langa’s skin. It’s not like he hasn’t performed in public before. But it’s been a while since he’s been a front of a crowd this large, let alone singing in front of them. Langa tries to push down his nerves and introduces the band.

“Uh, hey. We’re Avalanche. I hope you like us.”  
  
Langa can hear Miya scoff from beside him. But there’s no time to redo the intro as their set time is almost up. The blue-haired boy breathes in before the club rings out with his voice.

_I’m going back to 505_

_If it’s a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive_

Beginning the familiar song sets Langa at ease. The crowd breaks its silence with murmurs of appreciation. Arctic Monkeys proves to be a crowd favorite after all. Langa’s simple solo seems like it would be another forgettable rendition of the popular song.

The crowd’s expectation shifts once Miya and Shadow join in. Shadow’s drumming gives the song some energy, picking up the performance from something static to something energetic. And Miya pours in the same passion he holds for skateboarding into his strumming and riffs. But what stands out the most is Langa.

There’s a sense that Langa isn’t just repeating the well-known songs. His emphasis on certain lyrics. The way he moves, first nervously then enthusiastically, behind the microphone. The way the green and blue lighting hits his frame. It’s something different. Almost like he has something, or rather someone, in particular, on his mind. And then the crescendo comes.

Langa’s voice is full of emotion as he belts out the chorus. As he looks out at the audience, he sees varying levels of shock. It’s clear that his voice has struck a chord with some of the audience. Like the performance is haunting.

And no one seems more haunted than the familiar red-haired techie. Reki can’t look away from Langa as the singer moves through the remainder of the song with a pained passion. Langa stares back at Reki, but his glassy expression shows that his mind is somewhere else

As the song ends, Langa sways slightly behind the microphone, slowly coming back to the present moment. Miya’s riffs and Shadow’s energetic drumming echoes through the club. 

Reki watches as the lights dim and turns over two questions in his mind: _Just who was this kid? And where has he been all this time?_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! While the details may not be accurate to how band gigs go, I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> The songs are Lana Del Ray's Brooklyn Boy and Arctic Monkeys' 505.


End file.
